diff --git a/test/runner/fixturesUI.js b/test/runner/fixturesUI.js
index 51d82c942688d..73c03eb8360f5 100644
--- a/test/runner/fixturesUI.js
+++ b/test/runner/fixturesUI.js
@@ -29,39 +29,90 @@ process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID = 1;
 const fixturePool = new FixturePool();
 let revertBabelRequire;
 
+function specBuilder(modifiers, specCallback) {
+  function builder(specs, last) {
+    const callable = (...args) => {
+      if (!last || (typeof args[0] === 'string' && typeof args[1] === 'function')) {
+        // Looks like a body (either it or describe). Assume that last modifier is true.
+        const newSpecs = { ...specs };
+        if (last)
+          newSpecs[last] = [true];
+        return specCallback(newSpecs, ...args);
+      }
+      const newSpecs = { ...specs };
+      newSpecs[last] = args;
+      return builder(newSpecs, null);
+    };
+    return new Proxy(callable, {
+      get: (obj, prop) => {
+        if (typeof prop === 'string' && modifiers.includes(prop)) {
+          const newSpecs = { ...specs };
+          // Modifier was not called, assume true.
+          if (last)
+            newSpecs[last] = [true];
+          return builder(newSpecs, prop);
+        }
+        return obj[prop];
+      },
+    });
+  }
+  return builder({}, null);
+}
+
 function fixturesUI(trialRun, suite) {
   const suites = [suite];
 
   suite.on(Suite.constants.EVENT_FILE_PRE_REQUIRE, function(context, file, mocha) {
     const common = commonSuite(suites, context, mocha);
 
-    const itBuilder = (markers) => {
-      return function(title, fn) {
-        const suite = suites[0];
-        if (suite.isPending())
-          fn = null;
-        let wrapper;
-        if (trialRun) {
-          if (fn)
-            wrapper = () => {};
-        } else {
-          const wrapped = fixturePool.wrapTestCallback(fn);
-          wrapper = wrapped ? (done, ...args) => {
-            wrapped(...args).then(done).catch(done);
-          } : undefined;
-        }
-        if (wrapper) {
-          wrapper.toString = () => fn.toString();
-          wrapper.__original = fn;
-        }
-        const test = new Test(title, wrapper);
-        if (markers && markers.includes('slow'))
-          test.timeout(90000);
-        test.file = file;
-        suite.addTest(test);
-        return test;
-      };
-    };
+    const it = specBuilder(['skip', 'fail', 'slow', 'only'], (specs, title, fn) => {
+      const suite = suites[0];
+      if (suite.isPending())
+        fn = null;
+      let wrapper;
+      if (trialRun) {
+        if (fn)
+          wrapper = () => {};
+      } else {
+        const wrapped = fixturePool.wrapTestCallback(fn);
+        wrapper = wrapped ? (done, ...args) => {
+          wrapped(...args).then(done).catch(done);
+        } : undefined;
+      }
+      if (wrapper) {
+        wrapper.toString = () => fn.toString();
+        wrapper.__original = fn;
+      }
+      const test = new Test(title, wrapper);
+      test.file = file;
+      suite.addTest(test);
+      const only = specs.only && specs.only[0];
+      if (specs.slow && specs.slow[0])
+        test.timeout(90000);
+      if (only)
+        test.markOnly();
+      if (!only && specs.skip && specs.skip[0])
+        test.pending = true;
+      if (!only && specs.fail && specs.fail[0])
+        test.pending = true;
+      return test;
+    });
+
+    const describe = specBuilder(['skip', 'fail', 'only'], (specs, title, fn) => {
+      const suite = common.suite.create({
+        title: title,
+        file: file,
+        fn: fn
+      });
+      const only = specs.only && specs.only[0];
+      if (only)
+        suite.markOnly();
+      if (!only && specs.skip && specs.skip[0])
+        suite.pending = true;
+      if (!only && specs.fail && specs.fail[0])
+        suite.pending = true;
+      return suite;
+    });
 
     context.beforeEach = common.beforeEach;
     context.afterEach = common.afterEach;
@@ -77,52 +128,12 @@ function fixturesUI(trialRun, suite) {
 
     context.run = mocha.options.delay && common.runWithSuite(suite);
 
-    context.describe = (title, fn) => {
-      return common.suite.create({
-        title: title,
-        file: file,
-        fn: fn
-      });
-    };
-    context.xdescribe = (title, fn) => {
-      return common.suite.skip({
-        title: title,
-        file: file,
-        fn: fn
-      });
-    };
-    context.describe.skip = function(condition) {
-      return condition ? context.xdescribe : context.describe;
-    };
-    context.describe.only = (title, fn) => {
-      return common.suite.only({
-        title: title,
-        file: file,
-        fn: fn
-      });
-    };
-
-    context.fdescribe = context.describe.only;
-
-    context.it = itBuilder();
-    context.it.only = function(title, fn) {
-      return common.test.only(mocha, context.it(title, fn));
-    };
-    context.fit = context.it.only;
-    context.xit = function(title) {
-      return context.it(title);
-    };
-    context.it.skip = function(condition) {
-      return condition ? context.xit : context.it;
-    };
-    context.it.fail = function(condition) {
-      return condition ? context.xit : context.it;
-    };
-    context.it.slow = () => itBuilder(['slow']);
-    context.xit.slow = () => context.xit;
-    context.it.retries = function(n) {
-      context.retries(n);
-    };
+    context.describe = describe;
+    context.fdescribe = describe.only(true);
+    context.xdescribe = describe.skip(true);
+    context.it = it;
+    context.fit = it.only(true);
+    context.xit = it.skip(true);
 
     revertBabelRequire = pirates.addHook((code, filename) => {
       const result = babel.transformFileSync(filename, {